Fifteen community bus schemes across Devon are under threat because of new European regulations.Passengers make around 239,000 trips a year on the buses under threat.

The Government is currently consulting on licencing for community transport after a commercial bus company challenged current UK guidance in the European courts.

They have claimed that local authorities have actively encouraged community transport provision to replace subsidised local bus services which have been cut due to budget constraints, and have cited that it is a breach of competition legislations.

Devon County Council currently grants around £250,000 to 14 community schemes which operate pre-booked transport such as ring and ride. But the community transport groups use that cash as a basis to qualify for more grants from other local councils and organisations.

Vital Devon community buses could face the axe

There are around 239,000 passenger trips a year on community transport in Devon with 150 volunteers driving minibuses and 75 paid permit drivers, a cabinet meeting on Wednesday heard.

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The cabinet approved a draft responses to the consultation and there was cross-party and unanimous agreement that the continued existence of the vital community services is not put at risk.

Cllr Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s cabinet member for community and public transport, said: “This has all come about because of disputes between commercial bus companies and local community transport groups elsewhere in the UK.

“It means that the volunteers who run buses for the benefit of their local communities will either have to meet the same standards for their drivers and vehicles as your local bus or coach company or prove that the routes they run could not be served by a commercial company.

“We fear that many local organisations which signed up as charitable concerns will say they do not want to effectively become commercial operators which would mean they could lose out on running future local authority contracts.”

Cllr Roger Croad

He added: “We will obviously work with these groups to help them comply with any new rules that come in.

“We also reiterate our promise to ensure that no community is completely cut off.

“But firstly what we must do is ensure that the Government is well aware of the potential consequences of this action and we have contacted our MPs to alert them.

“We must all make sure that the continued existence of these vital community services is not put at risk.”

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Cllr Alistair Dewhirst added: “These are lifelines for people, and people's lives depend on these. We need to fight this as much as we can.”

Cllr Rob Hannaford said: “Local communities have come together and have provided these vital services, and it is a kick in the teeth for those volunteers and charities who are trying to hold these communities together.

“I do think that Central Government will have to put some money into Local Government to subsidise these services as otherwise we will end up with nothing. Those communities will cease to function and there is no way that collectively we can allowed that happen.”

Cllr Yvonne Atkinson asked if the council had a Plan B in case the European Regulations were enforced, and Damien Jones, head of transport co-ordination service, said: “This is very complex issue as it is about a legal requirement. But we do have a Plan B, C, D and E to ensure that we can provide transport for the essential services.”

The European regulations would mean that community buses with more than nine seats would be subject to the same regulations as buses, minibuses and coaches run for profit.

Community transport drivers would have to have the same qualifications as professional drivers.

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Up to now community transport, run for the benefit of local people, has effectively been exempt from full commercial licencing.

Community transport is provided by a network of voluntary organisations that help people get to the shops, services, medical appointments or leisure activities where no alternative or suitable transport is available. This may be because of rural seclusion, or for disabled or elderly passengers who cannot access or use public transport.

These are the community transport schemes which Devon County Council currently helps to support: